If Andrew Luck comes out, what will it mean for Carolina's Jimmy Clausen (Photo by John Clark)

   CHARLOTTE -- The Carolina Panthers have the first pick in the 2011 NFL draft and the big question is whether or not Stanford’s Andrew Luck will turn pro.
   If he does, there’s a good chance the Panthers will take him No. 1 overall even though they just selected Jimmy Clausen from Notre Dame this past April.
   Here’s a quick comparison between Clausen and Luck.

Age
Luck: 21
Clausen: 23

Ht/Wt
Luck: 6-foot-4, 235 pounds
Clausen: 6-foot-2, 222 pounds

Throws
Luck: Right-handed
Clausen: Right-handed

College
Luck: Stanford
Clausen: Notre Dame

Hometown
Luck: Houston, Texas
Clausen: Thousand Oaks, Calif.
 
College statistics
Luck: In two seasons at Stanford he’s thrown for 6,418 yards with 41 touchdowns and only 11 interceptions. He’s also run for 792 yards (the most ever by a Stanford quarterback) and five touchdowns. He’s 19-5 as Stanford’s starting quarterback.
Clausen: Ranked first or second in 32 passing categories for the Irish. In three seasons he threw for 8,148 yards (second in school history) with 60 touchdowns and 27 interceptions. He was 16-18 as Notre Dame’s starting quarterback.

Pro statistics
Luck: Not applicable. At least not yet. But he’s largely predicted to be the No. 1 pick in the draft if he decides to turn pro and many scouts believe he’s the most “NFL ready” quarterback to come out since John Elway.
Clausen: Selected 48th overall in the 2010 NFL draft, Clausen has a 1-8 record as a starter with two touchdown passes and eight interceptions and owns the league’s worst passer rating for the 2-13 Panthers.

Accolades
Luck: The PAC 10 Player of the Year and the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy in 2010. Led the Cardinal to an 11-1 record this season and a birth in the Orange Bowl.
Clausen: Was the MVP of the Hawaii Bowl along with wide receiver Golden Tate.

Next game
Luck: Jan. 3 vs. Virginia Tech in the Orange Bowl in what might be Jim Harbaugh’s last game as Cardinal coach.
Clausen: Jan. 2 vs. the Atlanta Falcons in a meaningless game that will be John Fox’s last game as Panthers coach.

College coach
Luck: Coached by Harbaugh, a former NFL quarterback who could also be a candidate for the Panthers coaching job. Harbaugh signed with the Panthers in the middle of 2001 season but did not play.
Clausen: Coached by Charlie Weis, a close friend of Fox and a guy who won three Super Bowl rings with the New England Patriots.

Family ties
Luck: The son of Oliver Luck, current athletic director and a former quarterback at West Virginia University and former NFL quarterback for the Houston Oilers.
Clausen: His older brothers Casey and Rick both played at the University of Tennessee, but did not play at the NFL level. His father Jim is a former college football coach.

What they say about him
Luck: CBS Sports draft analyst Rob Rang called Luck the best prospect he’s ever scouted.
Clausen: Panthers wide receiver Steve Smith said of Clausen, “He has a lot to learn (about being an NFL quarterback). He’s not at Notre Dame anymore.”

Education
Luck: Is getting a degree in architectural design and has a 3.5 GPA at Stanford.
Clausen: Graduated from Notre Dame in May with a bachelor of arts degree in sociology.